Shallow Love by Georgia Mantis

stinginess and his criticism of her. She was just going to let it all slide and hope that it was just a bad day, that David was experiencing and that tomorrow he would be back to his caring old self. She tried to convince herself, that was what love was about, aren’t you supposed to forgive and forget no matter what? After all she didn’t think David would ever act like an immature, arrogant person ever again.
    But unfortunately, David continued to complain on dates, he was always angry at somebody or something, he didn’t hold hands with her or call her sexy. He didn’t look at her like he used to, when she would get this fuzzy feeling inside and start to giggle. He looked mad at her, angry with the world and just plain selfish. It was always about him, when they went out and Jackie wasn’t feeling it anymore. The only thing she enjoyed with him was foreplay in bed and that was even rushed! He had been in a rush to leave and he wouldn’t even stay the night anymore. She had begun to feel used and abused, he hated her wearing make-up, he complained that it made her look old and unattractive. His stinginess on dates were becoming tiresome, he would use the forgotten wallet in the car line, every time. He would even go as far as to ignore her if they went shopping together, afraid that she would make him buy her something and he would often make up excuses, to shop separately.
    The tension between them was unbearable, the arguments were constant and his drinking had increased noticeably. He was no longer the dream boyfriend that Jackie had craved, he was not a catch anymore. He wasn’t well mannered, polite or interested, he was a fake boyfriend! That’s what he was and she couldn’t understand how she could have fallen in love with him.
    She had been browsing in a popular shopping centre one afternoon and had caught him out at the supermarket. He was in the cereal aisle chatting with his mates, he was unaware of her presence and that she was listening, as she had her back facing him. He was a good talker by far and she recognised his voice immediately.
    “So how is that older bird, you are dating going is she a catch man?” One of his mates had asked him.
    David had laughed at his mates interest in his love life, “you don’t want to know buddy, ever since her sister died, she has turned into a beached whale overnight. Her weight has ballooned, her body used to be firm and sexy, now all I see is flab.”
    “Well dump her ass man,” laughed his mate. “You are too hot, for an old fat woman?”
    “Too right man,” David laughed with him. “I find her repulsive.”
    Jackie pushed the supermarket trolley in full speed down the next isle, she felt sick and there was a knot in her stomach the size of a fist. Her knees grew weak, her heart had just been broken in a million pieces and tears were running down her cheeks. She couldn’t believe, that David and his low life mate, could exhibit such cruelty. She couldn’t believe her boyfriend had back stabbed her, in the most horrible way. She had once believed in their love and had really thought that he was the one for her, but little did she know what kind of a jerk, David had turned out to be. It was like a stab in the heart simultaneously, that’s how it had felt, the biggest betrayal of her life.
    David was not the kind hearted, caring person she had thought him to be! He was the most unsympathetic human being, she had ever met, a selfish, controlling beast! She was hoping that David would have turned out to be just like Liam, who loved and cared for Carrie, until death did them part.
    But David was slime, he didn’t care about her, the way she had hoped he would, his love was shallow and he had done nothing, but berate her about her weight. He had been argumentative and he’d always push her about the same subject.
    When Jackie got back home later that same day, she ran straight into the bathroom to vomit, but she didn’t know what she was vomiting for? She